Railroad-crossing signal.



J. LUX,.

RAiLROAD caossmc SIGNAL.

1,274,177. APPLICATION HLED NOV. 26. mi. Patented July 30,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

x S 00 L N Witness nventor Attorneys r 1. LUX. I RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATJON FILED NOV. 26.191 1,274,177. Patented July 30,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q Inventor II 22 g Attorneys JACOB LUX, or aster; N )RTHDAKO'1*A.'

RAILROAD-'CROS$ING' SIGNAL.

. Specification of Letter s' l atent. Patented July 30, 1918.

Application filed November 2c. i917. seria1' m..204,o21.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB LUX, a cltizen of the United States, residing at Edgeley, in the county of La Moure and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Crossin Signal, of which the'following is a specification. I y

The device forming the sub ect .of this invention is adapted to be placed along a railroad track at a highway crossing, for the purpose of advising a person proceedlng along the highway, that a train is approaching on the track. R

One object of the invention is to prov de novel means whereby rotation. may be 1mparted from a car actuated means to a signal; another object of the lnventlon is to provide novel means for operatmg an audible signal.

lVith the foregoing and other ob e cts 1n View which will appear as the descrlption proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood. that changes in the precise embodiment ofthe invention herein disclosed, can be 1nade within the scope of what is claimed wlthout departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings: r in, Figure 1 shows in top plan, a device constructed in accordance with the inventlon; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of'the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. a a Fig. 4: is a section taken. on the line of Fig. .3;

Fig.- 5 is a se Fig. 3

ction on the line of tiesv which are slightly longer than the ties 1, the ties 1 and 2 'supporting'track rails'3. Bearings 4 and 5 are mounted on certain of the ties 1 at appropriate distances on opposite sides of the ties 2. -Aj shaft 6 is journaled in the bearing 4, and a shaft 7 is journaled in' thebearing' 5. 'An arm 8 is secured to the shaft 6 and is adapted to be operated by car carried. means (not shown). An arm 9 is secured to the shaft 7. The invention comprises an n 'per flexible element 10, a lower flexible e ement 11,

an upper flexible element 12, and a lower flexible ielementhfifl. Yokes are-attached by means of securing elements 16 to the QarmsS and 9 on opposite sides of the fulcra of the arms, the arms having openings 22 which permit an adjustable mounting of thepivot elements 16. Screws 17 are threadedinto the yokes 15, and are pivotedto swivels18 which are attachedto the outer ends of, the flexible elements, the flexible and the flexible elements 12 and 14 being assembled with the arm 9 on opposite sides of its fulcrum 7 The ties 2 are connected by ajbar 19 and by a bar 20 disposed parallel to the rails 3. Thebar 20 carries a "pivot :element 21 on which a lever 23 is mounted to swing horizontally, the lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the pivot element. A bracket 29L is attached at .bracket'24 on one side of the pivot element 21, andthe flexible elements 12 and 11 being attached to the bracket on the opposite side of the, pivot element. A retractile spring '35 isconnected atone end of the bracket 24 and isattached at it's other end to the bar 19,.. "The 'lever 23 is provided. on-its under sidewith an arcuate, rack 27 and is supplied on its upper side with a cam 28 which slants k downwardly with respect to the horizontal.

The rack27meshes into a-pinion 29 se- ..cillfedto ashaft 30 extending into a tubular shaft 31 and connected therewith at 32, the lfsihizift'liil being journaled in a bearing 33 on a p 7 y, .34. c'onnecting the ties 2. The shaft .31-

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 Fig. 1.

The. numeral 1 denotes ties, of ordinary length, and the numeral 2 marks a pair.,of f.

eived for rotation in an outer tubular t36 [into the end of which is inserted stubsha'ft 37, the shafts 36 and 37 being limited by a securing element 38 The outer :Lubular shaft 36 is journaled in abearing-39 carried by a bar 40 Which connects the ties 2.

In the outer tubular shaft 36, openings or seats 41' are formed, the seats coactingwith a curved pawl 42 ,mounted, to swing transversely-ofthe shafts 36 and 31 on a rod 43 elements 10 and ll being assembled with the farm's on opposite sides of itsfulcrum 6,

attached at one end to the tubular shaft 31,

whichhas a slot fl kin which the pawl 42 voperates, andthe pawl being pressed out- Waifdlyby the action of a spring 45; The

outer tubular shaft 36 is supplied with seats 46 in, any one of which the end of a dog 47 may be engaged. The dog is pivoted at 48, to a bracket 49 carried by one of the ties 2. The dog 47 has an upstanding arm .50, and a retractile spring 51 extends between the arm and the bracket 49 so as 19 filfilflte the free end of the dog and to cause the same to cotiperate normally with the seats 46 in the shaft 36. The numeral 52 denotes a lever, extended longitudinally of the shafts 31 and 36 at one side thereof, the outer end of the lever being pivoted at 53 to the arm 50 of the dog 47. The lever 52 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends at 54 on the bar '34. That end of the lever 52 which is adjacent to the track terminates in a head 55 which is adapted to ride along the cam 28 of the lever 23.

The bar 40 carries an arch 56 including 'a socket 57 in which a tubular standard 58 is mounted, the standard being held fixed by means of a set screw .59 threaded into the socket 57. A shaft 60 is journaled in the socket 57 and carries at its lower end, a beveled pinion 61 which is in mesh with abeveled pinion 62 carried by the stub shaft 37 which, it is to be recalled, is connected to the outer tubular shaft 36 to rotate therewith. Nuts 63 are threaded on the upper end of the shaft 60 and, coacting with the upper end of the standard 58, hold the shaft 60 in the standard 58 for rotation but against downward movement. The nuts 63 also retain on the shaft 60, a cross arm 64 which may carry indicators 65, shaped like a human hand or otherwise. A resonant member, such as a bell 66, is secured to the upper end of the shaft 60. A striker 67 1s fulcrumed at 68 on a nut 69 carried by the shaft 60, one end of the striker being constrained by a spring 71 to engage the bell 66, and the other end of the striker lying in the path of radial projections 70 on the standard 58.

Let it be supposed that a car is proceeding along the rails 3 in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1. Suitable means on the car engages with the arm 8 and tilts the arm, the flexible .element 11 swinging the lever 23 on its fulcrum 21, and the spring 35 being put under tension.- When the lever 23 is swung, the rack 27, which constitutes ,a part of the lever, rotates the shaft 30 and the shaft 31, the pawl 42, which is carried by the shaft 31, clicking forwardly and engaging with one of the seats 41, the shaft 31 being rotated without imparting rotation to the shaft 36. When the lever 23 is swung as aforesaid, the cam 28 advances beneath the head 55 of the lever 52 and tilts the lever 52 on its fulcrum 54, the outer end of lever 52 depressing the dog 47, through the medium of the arm 50. The working end of the dog 47 is detached from the seat 46 in Copies of this patent may be obtained for the outer tubular shaft 36. The spring 35 now reacts on the lever 23, and tilts the same on its fulcrum 21, the rack 27 imparting a reverse rotation to the shafts 30 and 31, by way of the pinion 29. This reverse rotation is communicated to the shaft 36 by means of the pawl 42 and the stub shaft 37 is rotated, the rotation being .imparted to the vertical shaft 60 by the pinions 62 and 61, the cross arm :64 and the indicators being set to indicate to a person proceeding toward the track 33, that a train is approaching along the track. Vhen the shaft 60 is rotated, the bell 66 and the striker 67 are rotated also, the lower end of the striker cofiperating with the projections 7 Q on the standard 58 and, T11 connection with the spring 71, causing the striker to impinge on the bell 66. The construction is such that a person approaching the track 33 is confronted by a visible signal and warned, as well, by an audible signal.

The car, proceeding along the rails 3 in the direction of the arrow A ultimately actuates the arm 9, whereupon the operation above described is repeated, the indicators 65 being reset to a safety-indicating position.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a lever having a cam and a rack; car actuated means for swinging the lever in one direction; yieldable means for swinging the lever in an opposite direction; an outer shaft supported for rotation and having a ratchet and seats; a signal connected with the outer shaft; an inner shaft journaled in the outer shaft; a pinion on the inner shaft and co operating with the rack; a pawl carried by the inner shaft and coacting with the ratchet; a pivotally mounted dog cotiperating with the seats; and a second lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends, one end of the second lever being pivotally connected with the dog, and the other end of the second lever coacting with the cam.

2, In a .device of the class described, a tubular standard; a shaft journaled in the standard; a resonant member secured to the shaft; a striker coacting with the resonant member and fulcrumed on the shaft; a projection on the standard, wherewith the striker engages when the shaft is rotated; and means actuated by a passing car, for rotating the shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

J AGOB LUX.

Witnesses:

H. A. SQHNEL Gno. BULNER.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0." 

